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Thursday 4 December 2008

Stifling the Egyptians

Aida
Wales Millennium Centre

The star of the show is certainly its heroine, sung by Zvetelina Vassileva, who established her character in all its complexity with a magnificent ‘Ritorna vincitor!’ How much more Verdi favoured the soprano and mezzo voices, and for that matter the bass and baritone, over the tenor ones, largely, no doubt, because he felt that young men in love are mostly just silly. What she achieved there Vassileva built on throughout the opera, making me wonder why she is not a much bigger name. Does Amneris stand a chance in the face of such a powerful assault on our sympathies? Not really, despite what Rizzi says in the programme. Anyone can see that her position is a terrible one, though she has the appurtenances of power. But I don’t think she is made more sympathetic by being played by a singer who isn’t up to the most impressive of her can belto stretches, especially in the tremendous Judgment Scene. Margaret Jane Wray is good at wheedling, insinuating, lamenting, but the great Amnerises gave a thrill with their ‘Cruel beasts, can you never have enough blood? And you call yourselves the ministers of God!’ — which should leave every cleric-hater feeling happy for a few minutes. Wray tried pulling out some stops when she confronted Radamès, but a curdled note threw her off-balance and she didn’t recover. She looks formidable.

What a strange career Philip Joll has had! Twenty-five years ago he was singing major Wagner roles, including Wotan, in a woofy and indecisive way which, for me, ruined the Ring under Goodall, of whom he was a protégé, and Armstrong. Now his voice is more focused, his presence imposing, even when dressed as unflatteringly as he was here, and he is, in short, ready to sing Wotan. Meanwhile his Amonasro was a tower of insistent strength, sung with hypnotising smoothness of line. Musically, this Aida offers a lot more than it does dramatically.

More articles from: Michael Tanner | this section

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